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Athene smiled back and said to Katie, ‘On another note, what are the chances of two ruggedly handsome men turning up on one tiny island?’

Three if you counted Ned, Katie thought, although rugged wasn’t Ned’s style.

‘I suppose all that sheep wrangling and wood chopping keeps them fit,’ Athene mused. ‘Even so, they wouldn’t look out of place on a book cover.’

‘Don’t let them hear you say that …’ Katie gave Athene a searching look. ‘Why, are you interested?’

Athene smiled. ‘Why would I be interested in a man who lives over three hundred miles away? Even if he is able to quote a line of Milton, I’m sure the rest of the conversation would be confined to sheep dip and bloat.’

Katie giggled. ‘How on earth do you know what bloat is?’

‘From Far From the Madding Crowd. Well, from the book version.’

‘So Greg’s your Gabriel Oak, is he?’ Katie said, teasing Athene about the handsome shepherd in the Thomas Hardy novel.

She arched an eyebrow. ‘I admit Greg’s … decorative in a rustic way but I’m a city girl and anyway, I thought that it was your love life we came up here to sort out?’

‘I didn’t know I had a love life to sort out,’ Katie said. ‘Um. Was that your phone I heard go off?’

‘What?’

‘About two seconds ago.’

Athene huffed in horror. ‘Then why didn’t you say?’

‘Because A, I wasn’t sure it was your phone, and B, we were, as Mr Darcy said, “more agreeably engaged” in having an actual conversation.’

‘Ha ha!’ Athene said. ‘But I do need to take this call.’ She was already digging the phone out of her tote.

‘But it’s Christmas!’ Katie said, exasperated.

‘Won’t be long! Damn, the signal is crap. I’ll try over by Boots and see if I can get on their Wi-Fi.’ She rushed off, swallowed up by the crowds which had swelled considerably since they’d arrived.

Keswick was heaving, the band were playing carols again, and there were queues for all the food and drinks stalls. There were considerably fewer pheasants hanging on the butcher’s stall. Katie shuddered. Thank goodness their turkey was waiting in the fridge at the house, ready plucked.

Having finished his call, Arlo joined Katie outside the Moot Hall and nodded towards the shopping bags. ‘Finished your shopping?’

‘Yes, thanks. What about you?’

‘Such as it is. I’ve hardly anyone to buy for. Greg and I don’t bother and I won’t see the family for another couple of weeks. Mum and Dad don’t do adult gifts and my brother and his wife have everything anyway. I have treated the boys to a blow-up double kayak. I need to take that down to their house after Christmas.’ His eyes lit up when he mentioned his nephews.

‘That sounds exciting for them.’

‘Hopefully I’ll end up taking them out in it. My brother, Sam, doesn’t have much time for fun and Alison hates the water.’

‘They must live it up when they visit you.’

Pleasure lit his eyes. ‘Oh, they’re in their element. They’ve been every summer for the past few years and it’s great to see them grow in confidence.’

‘I didn’t know you could kayak.’

He laughed. ‘I don’t now, apart from with the boys. I did used to enjoy it though.’

Katie seized her chance. ‘Oh? Was that your job before you took over the Island House? Kayak instructor?’

He shifted his feet. ‘I did do some outdoor instruction at one time, yes.’

‘Up here?’ she asked, pressing him while she could.